Domes and other enclosed structures are widely used throughout the world in a variety of applications in which material handling systems are required. For example, bulk storage facilities typically require a material handling system that is capable of penetrating the dome or enclosed structure for transporting material into and out of the structure. These bulk storage facilities may be used to store salt, coal, sand, fertilizer, etc. The material handling system generally includes a conveyor and a gallery surrounding and enclosing, at least in part, the conveyor. The gallery penetrates the dome or enclosed structure at some elevated level above the surface.
An exemplary embodiment of such a dome 10 and material handling system 12 is illustrated in FIG. 1. The elevated gallery 14 is supported at one end by a stacker/reclaimer system 16 located at the center of the dome. Outside the dome, the elevated gallery is supported by a vertical support column or framing system 18 which extends upward toward the gallery from the surface 21. For a typical dome structure, the span between the stacker/reclaimer system and the exterior framing system can be anywhere between 30 meters to 80 meters.
One of the loads that must be taken into account when designing a material handling system for a dome structure is the wind load on the section of the gallery outside of the dome structure. This section of the gallery may be exposed to horizontal wind loads that must be resisted. Since the gallery is typically isolated from the dome structure, the horizontal wind load is resisted entirely by the exterior framing system and by the stacker/reclaimer system inside the dome.
However, it can be costly to design or reinforce the stacker/reclaimer system to take the horizontal wind load from the conveyor gallery. Additionally, reinforcing the existing framing systems, or installing additional framing systems outside the dome increases the overall cost of the material handling system. Moreover, if the additional framing systems are positioned inside the dome or enclosed structure, the effective interior storage capacity of the dome is reduced.
Consequently, a need exists for an improved gallery conveyor lateral restraint system.